Mythril Halls
by thefoxtailz
Summary: Beginning takes place at the end of DoTD with a slight re-imaging of the final fight. Unwilling to return to Warfang the pair set out to mend the damaged world and simply explore the Realms without any obligations. This search will lead them towards the ancient dragon stronghold known simply as the "Mythril Halls". What will they find in the dusty halls lost in dragon history?
1. The hardest Decisions

This is the first piece of fan fiction I have written and I would love some feedback! I've read so much over the years mainly mass effect, i but I thought I would finally give it a shot myself with one of my favourite character pairings of all time.

Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with the Spyro Franchise.

* * *

In front of Spyro and Cynder stood the doors to Malefors personal keep in all of its tainted glory. The pale gray stone shimmered from the intense heat of the lava that surrounded that fortress, creating an atmosphere that was as beautiful as it was deadly. Spyro couldn't help but reflect on the brevity of the situation, likely this was going be their last stand for the world. This was the culmination of the intertwined destiny that he shared with Cynder and all their previous efforts had led them to this final confrontation. Together they had achieved the impossible albeit unwillingly at times since their escape from the crystal that had imprisoned them for three years previously. In a few short weeks, they had managed to escape from the well of souls, defend Warfang from a mighty Golem and Grublin invasion and managed to cross the belt of fire due to the sacrifice of his mentor and close friend, Ignitus. This last thought pained Spyro greatly as he was still coming to terms with the loss and he sunk his head dejectedly.

Cynder noticed his downward look and enveloped the purple dragon with her crimson wing, bringing his eyes level with her own. She had a gut feeling about what was troubling Spyro and wanted to reassure him all was going to be okay.

"It's about Ignitus isn't it?" she slowly asked. Her emerald eyes seemingly able to peer directly into his soul.

Spyro slowly nodded in response, he felt a slight blush through his scales but couldn't deny the calming effect that being close to Cynder brought over him.

"I just don't know if we have the strength to deal with Malefor." Spyro stammered. "This has all happened so fast…. what if we aren't ready? If Ignitus gave his life for nothing?"

Cynder took one of his paws in her own and cooed softly "Together we can do this, you have never once given up me Spyro." Her heart seemed to skip a beat as she recalled how he had selflessly saved her from the Convexity which would have consumed her completely. Yet this purple dragon risked his life to save her, the "terror of the skies" despite all she had done to the dragon race. "Ignitus trusted us with this task, and I promise you that we will not let his sacrifice be in vain" her voice was full of grit and determination, yet on the inside, she had never been so scared in her life.

The simple gesture seemed to strip away any insecurities that had briefly plagued the dragon as he replied warmly "There is nobody I would rather have at my side." Realising finally he had something to fight for, a reason to win. He slowly let go of her paw and worked up the courage to ask "Are you ready for this?"

Cynder simply nodded and the pair began to walk towards the imposing metal door which stood between them and Malefor, intricately carved into the stone. It surely would have been a place of beauty, if not tainted by the corruption which had ravaged the land.

"We make a great team you know" chimed Spyro as they approached the giant stone doors.

Cynder whispered faintly so only she could hear "the best."

* * *

There was a loud creak as the ancient doors began to creek inwards, revealing the large purple dragon Malefor standing atop a platform. The room was largely empty besides for the single raised platform held in place by two large stone pillars. There was no roof, allowing for the red sky to be seen overhead.

Malefors voice boomed, causing it to echo around the stone chamber "At long last, my guests have arrived" he flashed a toothy smile at the pair before continuing "please… come in we have much to discuss".

"Such determination to get here, I wasn't sure you could make it. It seems we share other qualities besides that of our colour" He gestured towards Spyro, letting out a small mirthless laugh.

Spyro greatly despised being compared to such a monster and vehemently stated "No! I am nothing like you. I seek to salvage this world which you would so willingly destroy" venom dripping from every word.

"Do you really think so?" Smiled Malefor "Hmm… we'll get to that" chuckling lightly to himself.

Cynder brushed up against him softly giving him reassurance "Don't listen to him Spyro. Don't listen to anything he says. You are nothing like him and you know that" she whispered with a sparkle in her eye.

"You look so weary after your journey" Malefor paced towards the dragons slowly before continuing "However, I'm glad you two could make it in person to witness the final moments of this world before it is destroyed and reborn anew. Allow me to make your final moments more comfortable" he finished with a sinister smile upon his snout.

A blue wispy light engulfed the necklaces which bound Spyro and Cynder together as two dragons looked on in disbelief. Within a few seconds, the blue light began to fade away and with it the necklaces seemingly gone without a single shred of evidence to suggest they had even been there in the first place.

"There. That's better, isn't it? It is the least I could do for you Cynder" Malefor nodded gently towards the black dragon "After all, you've done so much for me".

Cynder tried her best to appear unshaken, but the words cut her deeply. She was still not ready to forgive herself for what she had done in the past and could feel a dark impulse eating her from within, begging to be unleashed. She backed slowly away from Malefor trying to resist the presence he was exerting upon her, resulting in Spyro stepping between them.

"You used her!" He glared at Malefor. "I've come to know Cynder better than you ever will, I know she would never do such a thing out of her own free will!" he said with a confidence that he hoped would inspire Cynder.

Malefor simply smiled to himself thinking _could these two really have bonded together_? That will make what will happen next all the more interesting he mused. Quickly he snapped out of his thoughts before continuing.

"No matter, I used her. She used you. What does it matter really?"

"What does he mean Cynder?" Spyro softly cooed.

Malefor took this opportunity to act almost surprised "What… he doesn't know?" He laughed almost hysterically "Go on, tell him. You mustn't leave him in the dark…."

"Tell me what?" Spyro asked. Silently he hoped to himself that Malefor was simply trying to create distrust between the pair, which there was no way he would let happen.

The hulking purple dragon happily obliged with "How she lured you to the Well of Souls… How she tricked you into freeing me"

"You're lying" Cynder shouted back not wanting to believe what she had heard but she was unable to ignore the doubt eating at the back of her mind.

"Hmm… I find it peculiar how you've chosen to remember things, Cynder" He said moving forward, barely a meter in front of the two dragons. "Let me assure you. It was you who freed me" He said smiling at Spyro. "And you who brought me back, Cynder". He laughed menacingly at the pair thoroughly enjoying the spectacle he was creating.

Cynder and Spyro turned to face each other and Spyro broke the silence by asking "Cynder… is it true?" with what strength he could muster.

She closed her eyes and turned her head away "No… I don't know... I don't know anymore..." She was on the verge of tears and almost entirely consumed by the doubt which Malefor had carefully been instilling upon her during their conversation.

"Oh, I think you do. But perhaps you need a little nudge" Malefors eyes began to glow in a yellow light and Cynder was unable to resist the doubt within her. She levitated briefly into the air and her scales turned an oily black, losing their natural sheen. A dark purple shadow also enveloped her body as the corruption seetheed around her.

He was laughing uncontrollably at this point thinking how easy it had been to break her will and determination.

Spyro cried out for Cynder but there was no response from his friend. Her eyes were now a glowing white rather than her emerald green, and she walked menacingly towards her former ally.

Malefor chimed "Ignitus should have warned you. You are alone here, young dragon. You have always been alone. Still here you are trying so desperately to save this miserable world."  
He looked towards Spyro in disgust before adding "and most importantly refusing to accept the true role of the purple dragon"

Cynder no longer in control of her own actions at this point slammed the stunned Spyro with a harsh head-butt, sending him sprawling across the floor.

He continued his speech seemingly unphased "I'm sure you've been told that I was the first of our kind. But I assure you there has been many. It has been the duty of our predecessors to resurrect the Destroyer and the Golems of the deep, to bring about the great cleansing."

Cynder used her wind prowess to accelerate her speed before slamming her side into Spyro, once again sending him sprawling into the wall where he struggled to stand.

"This is the true nature of our kind, it is your destiny to destroy the world".

"NO!' Spyro slammed a paw into the ground in defiance "I don't believe that!"

Malefor simply laughed "Of course you don't. But you have fulfilled your destiny nonetheless. In my time, I was prevented from completing my quest. But you have carried the flame be it through your own will or not. And soon, the world will be destroyed, you along with it. He opened his mouth revealing a toothy grin.

Spyro felt completely overwhelmed at this moment. He knew he couldn't face Malefor alone, he had to free Cynder. There must be something, some way his mind rqacing frantically. He vaguely recalled that cinder was able to coax him out of his own dark state by reaffirming the bond between them. He remembered the words Igneous had left them before his fate "Draw strength from each other and follow your heart, it will never fail."

Cynder whipped at Spyro savagely with her tail blade, exclaiming "Fight back!"

Instead, the purple dragon sheltered himself with his wings, absorbing the impact as best he could. He was simply not willing to risk hurting the black dragoness being kept against her will.

After a few more savage lashings with her tail and on the verge of losing control she yelled "Why won't you fight back!"

With a broken voice, Spyro responded with all the love he could muster "Because you've left me nothing to fight for".

Those few words cut straight through the doubt that had consumed her, knowing that Spyro was fighting for her. She snapped out of her shadowed form instantly and moved towards Spyro with tears in her eyes "There is always something" and they shared a comforting glance before turning back to face the real threat in the room.

"Argh! So be it!" spat Malefor "You've made your choice Cynder and so you shall suffer the same fate as our heroine here." His eyes glowed yellow again and the same blue wisps enveloped the pair of dragons again and the necklaces binding the two together reappeared.

"Prepare to die" he muttered and flew into the sky, preparing for the inevitable combat to follow.

Spyro turned to Cynder and asked "Are you with me"?

She simply nodded as if to say "I'm with you" and the pair took off after Malefor.

* * *

Malefor was ready as the two dragons approached him, greeting them with a torrent of fire. Both of the dragons were nimble enough to dance away from the flames, yet they could still feel the heat from the intense flames against their scales.

Malefors immense size came at a disadvantage in the air as there was little he could do to avoid the fast aerial attacks that the pair could throw at him. Knowing this he instead opted to keep the pressure firmly on them forcing Spyro and Cynder to fly defensively around him.

Unleashing a sweeping torrent of Dark Aether he caused Spyro to dive awkwardly underneath his breath while Cynder spiralled upwards, creating an updraft with her wind element. This caused a strain on the tether between the two dragons, forcing them fly in towards Malefor.

Being slightly faster Cynder darted behind Malefors right wing unleashing her acid breath on the exposed membrane causing the large dragon to rear in pain. He lashed his tail swiftly in retaliation which glanced against cinder with just enough force to send her spinning away.

Spyro seized the opportunity while Malefor was distracted, unleashing a devastating fireball into his exposed flank. Spyro fully committed to his momentum and lashed out savagely with claws and tail causing some small lacerations across Malefors back as he reared in pain.

Malefor disgusted with himself for allowing these ignorant hatchlings to get past his offensive so quickly, channelled his dark energy into propelling himself through the air at an incredible speed, disengaging easily from the two dragons. Now in a much better vantage point, Malefor unleashed a powerful breath weapon that intertwined the elements of fear and shadow together. Large purple balls that shimmered with an unnatural beauty where released from his gaping mouth and began hurtling towards the two young dragons at an incredible speed.

Knowing they would have to work together Spyro and Cynder quickly regrouped to face the purple missiles. With only mere seconds before collision, Spyro had already formulated a plan and his mind and yelled for Cynder to quickly unleash her shadow breath.

Without hesitation, the young dragoness unleashed a thick smoke into the air, curious as to what Spyro had planned. Spyro immediately followed with his ice breath drawing all the moisture in the surrounding atmosphere to unleash a howling torrent that froze the oily shadows into a thick shield. With only a second to spare the dull thud a dozen missiles bouncing harmlessly off the wall could be heard. Knowing they had barely escaped death Spyro gave Cynder a small grin which she returned in the moment's respite.

As they moved towards Malefor with renewed vigour Cynder shouted "Now just like we have practised okay?" as the words left her mouth she was already forming a slipstream with her wind breath creating a current that would carry Spyro at a heightened speed towards Malefor.

Instantly recognising the plan Spyro began to Ionize his claws and horns as Volteer had taught him, creating a static field to manifest around his extremities. He dove into the slipstream and launched himself with incredible speed building up electrical energy as he charged headlong into the exposed Malefor.

Before he could figure out what the pair was up he saw yellow electricity flash and a certain purple dragon careening towards him at a remarkable speed. Cursing himself for not catching this combination of moves earlier Malefor could do little else then brace for inevitable impact as he did not possess the lithe and grace of the smaller dragons in the air.

Spyro connected firmly with the front left leg of Malefor causing a large gash and a large surge of electricity throughout his body causing him to cry out in immense pain. Large globules of bright red blood could be seen falling from hid wound, gleaming with a sinister metallic beauty.

He tried desperately to claw at Spyro while he was in close proximity but the lithe form of the purple dragon narrowly avoided every swipe. As Cynder closed in Malefor yelled out "it has already begun." He gestured beneath them as the destroyer could be seen entering the volcano, signifying the destruction of the world to begin.

Spyro looked on with and his voice filled with sorrow as he exclaimed "We're too late!"

Despite his wound, Malefor laughed, "Welcome to the end of the world, as I promised it to you. I'm disappointed you chose the wrong side Cynder, but as they say, love blinds you."

The very world began to shake around them as the Dragon Realms began to break apart at the very seams. Large chunks of earth and the former fortress began to float of their own free will, seemingly no longer anchored by gravity. A pale red light bathed the entire world, creating a truly formidable vision. Surely this was the end of the dragon race the prophecy had come true.

Wanted to escape the aerial combat Malefor sped towards a large chunk of his fortress that had been misplaced by the destroyer. Landing with a resounding thud Malefor couldn't help but appreciate that he had finally achieved his goal. The destroyer had reached the centre of the Dragon Realms and the cycle was to begin anew.

Spyro and Cynder raced after him, not knowing if they could stop the destruction. However, Spyro could feel the strength of the Ancestors within him giving him the peace of mind to at least prevent Malefor from seeing the destruction of the world with his own eyes.

The landing of the two dragons snapped Malefor back to reality. This would be his final stand he knew his goal had been achieved and now he just had to deal with these pesky hatchlings.

Entirely consumed by darkness at this point a dark energy began to glow around Malefor as his claws began to glow menacingly, promising to sheer through anything they came in contact with.

Wanting to make the first move he sprang up aggressively bringing his uninjured right paw for a vicious strike across the area the two dragons occupied.

The pair were separated by the vicious attack with Cynder careening off to the left and Spyro barely dodging underneath the paw as it swiped above him.

Seeing the opportunity Cynder charged towards his exposed flank but at the last second had to pull away when she heard Spyro cry "Watch out". This exposed Malefor feint and he was left grasping at the air the black dragoness had occupied only a second earlier. Cynder landed gracefully next to Spyro as they readied for the next attack.

Cursing under his breath Malefor viciously slammed the ground the two dragons stood on causing them to rocket into the air, intertwining as they went. A pale purple glow enveloped the dragons in light aether as they changed directions mid-air and spiralled into the exposed back of Malefor.

Malefor grunted in immense pain as the three dragons began to spiral out of control, diving towards the centre of the planet. They sky quickly faded into an earthen hue as they fell roughly into a cylindrical passage which sprawled on endlessly beneath them. Regaining his senses quickly Malefor managed to stabilize himself and grasped the two dragons from his back and slammed them into the wall of the cavern.

Spyro and Cynder grunted in pain from the jarring impact, with Cynder in particular feeling as if she had no air left to breathe. But she did not panic in the situation realising that she was in the grasp of Malefors left paw which had previously injured by Spyro. Completely out of instinct, she whipped her tail blade blindly against his foreleg hoping to hit his injury. She was rewarded with a howl of agony and this momentarily weakened his grip enough that both dragons were able to escape his grasp.

Wasting no time Cynder and Spyro once again whirled together forming an aether comet, smashing into Malefors side dragging him further down into the abyss. He landed heavily against a smooth stone floor and shook his head staring at the two dragons who would dare to oppose him.

"You cannot defeat me! my experience spans thousands of years!" he snarled unleashing all of the darkness within him creating a vivid purple beam of pure aether that sparked towards the heroes. Spyro and Cynder instantly responded with their own light aethers, creating a fork that began pushing against the beam Malefor formed.

"Just… Hang…. On!" Spyro managed to gasp as he knew their combined power could overwhelm the monster before them.

Cynder pressed on with all her strength within her, determined to prove that she had changed forever. She was no longer a pawn of Malefor. Her chest burned from her exertion but she pushed on bravely spurred onwards by the thoughts for a certain purple dragon.

And just like that Malefor was unable to breach the combined strength of the beams and was knocked back sprawling onto the stone floor. As he struggled to stand up he noticed 5 ethereal purple dragons standing before him, all with a stern look of disapproval set upon their muzzles. Before he even had a chance to think the squadron barrelled into him and he felt his ties to the mortal world slip away before him.

Spyro and Cynder could only stare in amazement as the Ancestors dissolved Malefors corporal form in front of their eyes. The necklaces which bound them together also pulsated with pale blue energy once more dissipating into nothingness, seemingly suffering the same fate as the creator.

Despite their victory, they could only see the destruction of the world before them. The entire world was shaking before them. Feeling completely insignificant despite what they had done Cynder said barely more than a whisper "Spyro, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry" Tears sparkling in her eyes.

Spyro moved towards her nuzzling her gently before gently replying "Don't be, it's over".

Cynder sighed softly "This is it?"

Spyro closed his eyes and could feel the presence of his former master Igneous whispering his final words of advice to the young dragon. "Spyro, when a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world. His spirit lives on, binding itself with nature and offering hope for the future."

Spyro opened his eyes and renewed with a clear purpose "I know what I need to do. Please, Cynder he begged, "You have to get out of here."

"Spyro no! You don't have to do anything. Let's just go"

"There will be nothing left Cynder! The world is breaking apart"… "But I think I can stop it, I think I was destined to."

Cynder knowing she could never be complete without Spyro replied softly "Then I'm with you"

A pale light engulfed Spyro as he lifted into the air, shortly after the same occurred to Cynder and the two were left grasping paws as the world seemingly ended around them.

Before losing consciousness Cynder whispered "I love you" with all of her heart to the purple dragon before her, full well knowing this was likely the last moment they would ever share together.

A soothing purple glow began to emanate from the two dragons which quickly spread outwards extending as a large sphere of energy. It replaced the Armageddon red which had briefly encased the world after the destroyer had begun the cycle anew. Instead, the world began to reform the way it was previously. The cycle had been stopped! While the world wouldn't be exactly as it was before the damaged shards of Dragon Realms began to reconnect and the purple glow slowly faded into a beautiful yellow sunset across the entire planet.

* * *

Spyro opened his eyes to see a pale yellow glow before him. He thought to himself was this it, have I joined the ancestors? He shook his head and realised the light was from a sunset and he was standing in the Valley of Avala. It was just as beautiful as he remembered, with gentle sloping green valleys stretching as far as the eyes could see from the hill he was now standing upon. Seemingly endless mountains sprawled around the interior creating a natural sanctuary that few were lucky enough to ever see. A large Banksia tree stood before him, with beautiful red flowers blooming across its green canopy. Truly a wondrous site to behold. He walked forwards and plucked one of the flowers with his paw, Cynder fully consuming his thoughts at this time.

Glancing to his side frantically he saw the black dragoness also beginning to stir. Seeing that she was relatively unharmed brought a smile that could barely be contained on his face "we did it, together" he announced happily.

Cynder felt the joy of the moment completely overwhelming, all she could do was let the simple tears of joy trickle down her snout and land on the soft grass beneath them. "Spyro" she cooed "it's over…. It's finally over" and enveloped him with her wing, pulling him in close.

Spyro softly replied "It's just as beautiful as I remember" However he was looking directly at Cynder, not the gentle sloping valleys of Avala. "I got you a little something" he said and intertwined the red flower around Cynders left horn.

Cynder practically was humming with delight couldn't believe her luck. Not only had they saved the world but Spyro was still here with her. Even after she had briefly embraced the darkness within herself Spyro had not left her side. "It's beautiful" she whispered

Not wanting this moment to end the pair of dragon sat there gazing into the sky as the sunset dimmed, exposing a beautiful starry night. In the centre of the sky, a new constellation was clearly evident and it took the shape of a dragon that sparked with an intense ferocity amongst the pale backdrop of the other stars. Their tails slowly entwined as neither of them wanted to break the peace of this beautiful moment.

Cynder finally worked up the courage to ask. "Is what you said before true? That without me you had nothing to fight for?"

Spyro turned his gaze to the black dragoness, gazing into her sparkling emerald eyes as he huskily replied "yes, it was at the moment I realised how much you meant to me" he brought his snout against hers and they shared their first kiss amongst the starry night. As they gently broke away Spyro cooed "I love you too".

They knew the bond they shared was real. They had spent 4 years together since Spyro has rescued Cynder from the clutches of Malefors corruption. But this was the first time they had truly been able to express their emotions without worrying about what the rest of the world was up too.

For now, the pair was content watching the night sky as they slowly drifted into a peaceful slumber together. Responsibilities be damned, they had earned this night together. The rest of the world could wait until tomorrow while they enjoyed their first night of truly being young adults.

* * *

As the morning dawn gently enveloped the rolling hills in the first light a pair of dragons began to stir against the light spring mist. It was a beautiful morning to be sure, the bright red flowers of the Banksia trees standing out in stark contrast against the lush green backdrop. One would never have known that the day before the world had almost ended, it was one of these things where you had to be there. The pair had spent the previous night underneath the stars, simply enjoying the presence of each other as they mulled over what had happened the day before. The corruption which had engulfed the world was finally sealed away for good but the scars Malefor left upon the world would take a long time to heal. The pair knew there would still be challenges ahead, mainly securing peace with the other inhabitants of the Dragon Realms which had come to mistrust the dragons due to efforts of Cynder and Malefor.

Spyro was the first to wake that fateful morning as the first gentle rays of light began to shimmer about his purple and gold scales. Still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he chimed "Did you sleep well?"

Cynder nodded and had a large smile on her snout as she replied "I've never been in such peace my entire life, this truly is something else."

Spyro could only agree, in the 18 years of his life he had known little else than the conflict that consumed the Dragon Lands. Fighting the corruption that Malefor had created and his armies of Grublins and apes had consumed most of his time. This was the first time he didn't have a goal to work towards since leaving the swamp. Malefor had been defeated but he mused that _surely this wasn't to be the end of his adventures._

She moved in closer to Spyro gently licking his check with her rough tongue "and it's all thanks to you."

He blushed and turned towards her and their snouts moved together in a kiss that last several minutes before Spyro pulled away, out of breath. Grasping her front paw for reassurance he continued "I couldn't have done this without you either. It was only through your compassion that I was kept in check, you keep my tethered to this world."

Cynder blushed herself and laughed "We sound like sappy old dragons musing over the days gone by."

Spyro chuckled to himself _so this is what love is? It just seems so natural I don't even have to try. As much as I hate to kill this mood I guess we shouldn't neglect out duties any longer._

Taking on a solemn tone Spyro turned to face Cynder "Do you think we should return to Warfang?"

"I… I can't go back yet… I've cut this world so deeply with my previous actions and I need to make amends. I look at all this…" she gestured to the valley around them "this picture of hope and peace. And I all see is the pain I have caused."

"Then I'm coming with you" Spyro replied without missing a beat

"I.. wasn't going to ask"

"Why not?"

"Because I respect you, damn it! You think I don't want you to come with me?"

"So ask me!"

"Spyro… I don't know what the world is going to be like now we have defeated Malefor but I have a feeling that it's going to take some time to rebuild. So, whatever happens, I want to be with you."

"I bet you say that to every dragon who saves the world." Spyro said with a sly smile

"Only the cute ones" pipped Cynder.

The two dragons sat looking out over the valley of Avalar however, it's beauty was lost to them as they were deep in contemplation about what they should do next.

"They'd probably want me to become a guardian in place of Ignitus if I returned anyway" he said with a sigh. "I'm just not ready to settle down in the city, there is so much of the world left out there for us to explore."

The black dragoness considered his words carefully before responding "I think you're right. And I owe it the Realms to put things right what the damage I caused in the past _. "_ Perhaps I'll be ready one day, but for now, I wouldn't mind just spending time with you exploring the realm mending the bridges I have broken."

"Leaving Sparx is going to be tough, but perhaps it is best he spends some time with the other dragonflies, you know find himself a special someone and settle down. He's been through so much with me I can't just drag him into more conflict."

"Before we left Sparx asked me to look after you, and I plan to keep to it" she gave Spyro a shy smile.

"There is no one else more capable than you Cynder. Returning her smile "So it's settled then… I was thinking perhaps we should begin our search in the Tall Plains, They are fairly close by and I met a really interesting race known as the Atlawas there 4 years."

"Oh, the Tall Plains?" _Cynder didn't have much memory of what had happened before Spyro had rescued her, but she had vivid memories of draining the ice energy from Cyril in order to power up the crystal key which would release Malefor. She wondered how anybody would be willing to forgive her for her actions considering they had almost led to the end of the world as they knew it. All I can do now and attempt to rebuild the bridges I fractured in the past she thought, no matter where I go I will have touched the people in a negative fashion. She let out a deep sigh, perhaps I should talk to Spyro about this later it's making my heart race just thinking about it. At least he can see me for what I have become, ancestors know I'm going to need his strength when I try to tell them I'm going to fix it._

Trying to take her mind from her thoughts she asked, "What do they look like?"

"They stood on two legs like the Cheetahs" Spyro answered carefully "But they were stockier and covered in a thick fleece of brown and whites. They have a single leader known as the 'Kane'.

"Are they friendly towards dragons?" she questioned.

Spyro couldn't help but laugh "They asked if they could worship me as a god after I rescued them from the underground. "They where… uuh… trapped by… "He stammered remembering that it was Cynders forces who had forced them to flee underground.

Cynder sighed "I've brought so much harm to this world Spyro, but I'm determined to make it right. I'm willing to accept their judgement of me because I need to answer for what I've done.

"You're stronger than you know Cynder. Through this journey I think you will find who you really are, even if I already know" the words coming straight from Spyros heart as he brushed his nose against Cynder.

"You always know what to say." She said relaxing, "Nothing stands between us now, no linking chain, no obligation to rescue the world. Whatever the Realms wish to throw at us, I will be by your side."The two dragons finding strength within each other that morning began their preparations for the journey to the High Plains.


	2. Bonding and Reunion

As the two dragons were preparing to leave for the Tall Plains Spyro was mulling over the complexities of dragon courtship. _Bonding was the way that dragons entered into a serious relationship and it was not something done lightly. Being a bondmate transcended the realm of physical attraction, it was a conjoining of souls. The emotional rush experienced alters the pair permanently, only feeling completeness when they are together. Already he was beginning to feel the desire to be with her, no doubt this period had been accelerated by this time they had spent chained together. Once bonded dragons remain together for life and if the unfortunate circumstance occurs where the death of a bondmate occurs the partner is forever altered by the experience and generally is unable to bond again. Spyro knew the feelings were already mutual between them, they could already be considered to be 'Hecs'tiyl' which was a courtship term that literally meant 'Pathway to the heart.' It signified that the couple was learning the needs of the pair override the needs of the self. Generally once a relationship reached this part a bond was inevitable._

 _We will know soon he mused, deep in thought. All being considered this journey will test our relationship for the better or worse, there is no need to rush to the final stage we are barely adults after all. I guess I'll just have to settle for keeping her safe no matter the cost._

Stretching her wings Cynder pulled him from his internal monologue asking "Ready to go Spyro?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, let's go, oh and do try and keep up with me!"

"Just like old times huh, you know I'm faster than you right?"

Needing no further prodding Spyro leapt from the hill they were standing up, his golden chest scales catching wondrously in the morning light, eager to enjoy the freedom of flight.

Cynder took off after him, her magnificent crimson wings opened to their full span as she caught an updraft, soaring over the purple dragon. The pair enjoyed the gentle spring breeze against their scales at a cosy altitude, swapping lead position constantly in a dance that would have enthralled onlookers. Behind them, the beautiful valley began to fade out of distance, with the mountains dwindling in size until they would become a great plain that enveloped much of the Dragon Realms. As they passed over the last hill marking the Avalar valley the two dragons were greeted by a very peculiar site.

"Hold on for a second Cynder!" Spyro gasped as he slowed his speed to a mere hover above a vast spread of water. The dragoness quickly fell in beside him, disbelievingly she muttered, "that use to be the ring of fire that encircled the centre of the Realms, It's covered with water now?"

Spyro nodded in agreement. "Perhaps when we pulled the world back together it altered the landscape from what it was previously? Anyway, this lake is a vast improvement over the scar that Malefor left upon our land. I for one am glad to see it go."

Cynder looked at the new expanse longingly as she queried "maybe we should go explore this inland sea after we check out the High Plains". A wry smile forming on her face "this can't be the only change, maybe there is a whole new world for us to discover out there Spyro?"

He could feel his wingtips quivering in delight "this is quite exciting, I had no idea the Realms would be so different after we pulled it back together. Perhaps we will find something nobody has seen before!"

"Now that I think about it this sea must run into the Silver River, and if it does we might take a small detour into the Swamp there. I wouldn't mind checking on my parents."

"You knew your parents Spyro? I've never heard you talk about them before."

"Well… uuh... They adopted me. I was actually raised by Sparxs parents in the Swamp near the Dragon Temple. They treated me as if I was their own son. I don't know who my real parents were at all."

"I guess it goes without saying but I never knew my parents either, maybe one day we will out? But if the guardians didn't know I'm not exactly hopeful, considering I don't know of anything older than them excluding the late Malefor of course. So much of our history has been lost no thanks to me." Her brow furrowing slightly as she spoke.

"Hey now, at least we have each other. Anyway, I think you should probably meet my parents, they are really lovely dragonflies. And don't worry you will feel at home there I promise. It's been 4 years I just hope the fighting didn't make it deep into the swamp."

"Well let's go see them then, I'm sure they just as anxious to see you as well." Cynder couldn't help but feel nervous about meeting his parents, even if they were adopted, considering she didn't exactly have the best reputation.

* * *

Sparx flew lazily around Warfang, his mind working as fast as his wings, constantly distracting him from the real world. He had been restless ever since Spyro had left with Cynder to face Malefor. It was the first time the pair had been willingly separated for such a long period of time. As he flew by the east wall before him he could see moles and dragons working in unison to mend the damage that had been inflicted by Malfores forces. However, he was constantly distracted by nagging thoughts about the purple lump of a dragon he called his brother. Surely he wouldn't have gotten himself killed without me to bail him out right? Anyway, Cynder promised me she would look after him, chuckling as he thought about dangers of annoying the black dragoness.

Speaking of family, I really should go check on my parents. A frown crossed his face, it's been way too long they are probably worried sick about me considering it's almost been 4 years since I was trapped inside the crystal with Spyro and Cynder. Changing course Sparx flew off towards the dragon temple which thankfully been undamaged in the assault against the dark forces.

Barely had he started his journey when he bumped into Brull the foremole who was coordinating the efforts to rebuild the grand dragon city. He was of a strong build about half a head taller than most moles, with a pair of goggles draped over his head that he had worn for as long as he could remember.

The moles where a curious race, well adapted to the underground as evident to the large claws they possess in relation to their stout size. They were a very industrial, capable of producing structures beyond that of most others. The evidence of this was most clear in Warfang which was the gem of the entire Dragon Realms, built as gift by the Moles for the relationship they shared with dragons. Besides building the race also held cooking in high regard. After all was nothing better than after a hard day of digging then retiring to a nice cool glass of dandelion cordial and a deeper N' ever tater and beetroot pie. This resulted in two highly respected roles within the community, that of head friar who was in charge of the kitchens and the foremole who coordinated the building teams.

"Hey Brull, how's the wall going, in need any dragonfly muscle?" Sparx asked as he flexed his arms.

Letting out a great guffaw he responded "I admire you spirit Sparx you'd make a fine mole if we traded those wings of yours for these nice digging claws. And we're making fine progress no thanks to those fine earth dragons. They've been gathering the stone for us to rebuild and transporting it to the wall it's really quite amazing to see what we have achieved together. Before this year of the dragon is finished I think the city will be looking good as new."

"Well that's great to hear, but I can't stick around though. Got to visit the guardians, cya round bud!"

Sparx took his leave and completed the rest of the rather uneventful journey, as most of the population busy repairing the city, or out gathering resources.

"Terrador! I need to speak with you"

Terrador was a truly formidable dragon to behold, in part thanks to his tail which was unique to earth dragons. Instead of tapering off to a smooth blade like most dragons, a thick ball with vicious spikes took its place. His eyes spoke volumes about his character gentle yet hardened by a life of war.

Shifting his vision from the book he was reading Terrador found the small Dragonfly fluttering gracefully above his head.

"Mmm, young Sparx what is it?"

"I'm going to head back to the swamp to visit my parents, it's been far too long. I want to make sure they are okay. If Spyro makes it back while I'm gone could you tell him where I am? That purple lump is probably worrying about me right at this moment."

"Very well Sparx, I will pass on the message to Spyro when he returns. I wish you safe travels friend."

And if with that Sparx bid his farewell and took his leave from Warfang, hoping to reach the Swamp in the early afternoon.

* * *

By midday the pair of dragons were well into the swamp, the slightly sweet aroma of the giant mushrooms that blossomed throughout the swamp present in the cool air.

Spyro inhaled deeply, letting his childhood memories play freely through his mind. _Oh how much simpler where things back then he pondered. I didn't have to worry about fighting dragons, grublins, wyverns and whatever other dark forces were present. I was instead content just chasing Sparx around the swamp while he berated me for being chubby and unable to fly, and boy have the tables turned. The hardest questions were what was for dinner and what tricks Sparx was going to pull that so often ended up with us getting in trouble. Hopefully, the world can go back to some semblance of being normal again._

Overhead a few sporebats where mulling about, a curious creature which inhabited the swamp lands. They had a large membranous wing which kept them afloat with a tail that had spores protruding from it, a true symbiotic relationship between plant and animal life. It was thought that they spread the mushrooms that grew in the swamp but nobody was really sure.

Feeling solid earth between their feet once more the two dragons landed in an open clearing which he had spent much of his younger years. In front of them was a small house carved into a large tree causing Spyro to almost vibrate with anticipation.

Slowly walking up the door with Cynder behind him he raised a talon to the door, hesitating for a brief second before tapping lightly.

The door creaked open, revelling a blue dragonfly "Spyro… It's you…. You're back!" his mouth probably would have touched the floor if it was able. "Nina come quickly our son is back!"

"I'm back" Spyro said quietly, feeling a little overwhelmed in the moment. "I'm sorry that I haven't been able to come sooner…" a pained expression crossed his brow "Has sparks come to see you set? I have quite the story to tell."

By now a green dragonfly was also at the door, embracing Spyro with a mighty hug "Oh Spyro…. You're back and that's all the matters. And no Sparx hasn't come to see us yet, should we be expecting him?

"I'm not sure, I had to leave him for a few days. We had to part ways so I could make sure he was safe."

Nina turned towards the other dragon "I See you've brought a beautiful dragoness, what is her name?" Gesturing towards the dragoness shifting awkwardly behind him.

"This is my girlfriend, Cynder. And Cynder, these are my parents, Nina, nodding towards the green dragonfly and Flash" drawing the faintest blush across Cynder cheek scales as being referred to as the girlfriend of Spyro. _I'll never tire of hearing_ _that._

"Please dears come in, we have so much to catch up on! Any friend of Spyros is a guest of ours, please make yourself comfortable Cynder."

Feeling welcome the black dragoness gave a small nod before they continued into the surprisingly spacious tree. "Thank you for being so welcoming, I'm not really use to people showing a friendly side to me." Earning her a comforting glance from Nina.

The group sat down around a central table while Nina prepared some refreshments for the two dragons.

"Well I suppose our story has to start somewhere. You know that long lasting war you warned me about before I set off to out how I was? Well… it's finally over, the dragons are at peace with the rest of the Realms.

"That's wonderful news spyro! Is that why you were gone for so long?"

"Partly, I was also trapped inside of a crystal for 3 years with Cynder and Sparx. It's quite an interesting tale, may as well get comfortable it's going to take a while."

Spyro began the story from when he arrived at the Dragon temple leading to the eventual rescue of Cynder before she helped fill in the rest of the details with her perspective.

"whoa whoa, you are some kind of special purple dragon? That's amazing"

"Yeah I guess. I had a lot of pressure put on me, but it was worth it. I met some amazing people on my travels, and more." He finished with a glance towards Cynder.

"aww, young love it's so sweet. Reminds me of our younger days Flash." Said Nina who was fluttering her eyelids at the pair of dragons.

The mood was interrupted when there was a knock on the door. Spyro wandering who it could be excused himself and went it answer it.

The door opened to reveal his brother, the last person he had been expecting to see

"S-Sparx!"

"Spyro! Oh buddy you made it! I knew you would! Cynder, Mom, Dad!" The poor firefly looked so overwhelmed at what he was experiencing, but he managed to pull himself together.

Nina and Flash came dashing over, exclaiming "Oh both of our sons are home! This moment couldn't get any more perfect. Our whole family is together once again."

"I've missed you so much Mom, Dad did Spyro fill you in with what happened?"

"We were about half way through our tale Sparx, common you can help us with your witty commentary you never seem to lack"

"Aww, I missed you too you purple lump. And Cynder, thank you for keeping your promise."

"Not a problem Sparx, I'll always protect my purple lump, besides somebody has to come up with the plan."

The 5 of them talked well into the night, finally ending with the tale with their defeat of Malefor.

"So what do you two plan to do now that Malefor is defeated, are going to back to the dragon city?" asked Flash

"No, we decided that we wanted to explore the Realms and see how they are faring after the world was almost shattered. On our flight here to the Swamp we found that the entire circle of fire had been replaced by an inland sea. We also want to help mend the alliances that the dragons of old had once had as peacekeepers in the Realm."

"You've grown wise Spyro, I'm proud of what all three of you have accomplished. I couldn't have asked for better sons."

"So Sparx, did you want to come with us?"

"Hey I'm not missing out on another adventure, you left me out on the last one. That was cold man.  
And Cynder, I'll be glad to have you as my sister, I was wrong about you."

"Awww, what has happened you Sparx. Have you lost your bite?" she replied, sharing a laugh with the dragonfly.

Cynder fit into the family setting naturally and was now talking with Nina off to the side, where they could be seen giggling and exchanging glances around the room.

Turning to more serious matters Spyro decided to ask Flash about the future concerning dragonfly and dragon relationships.

"Flash, would you be able to talk to the other dragonflys about Warfang? I think it would be best to establish strong ties between our clans. We can offer protection from any of the remanent apes or grublins, and supply you with gems. I learnt growing up just what those dextrous hands you possess can do, and I have a feeling we're going to have more time for jewellery and other pleasantries of life now.

The dragonflies while small, were incredible craftsman. Able to cut gems with precise detail with the dextrous hands they possessed. Generally, they kept to themselves after Malefor had come into power, forming tight-knit clans with a respected village elder who communicated between them. In the past, they had worked closely in relation to the dragons but had evacuated Warfang when the fighting began to occur.

"I definitely will Spyro, they deserve to hear about what happened and the newfound peace. I agree it would be very beneficial for our people to work together once again. I will call a meeting with our elder to discuss it soon."

"If you decide to send an envoy to Warfang could you let them know Cynder and I are okay? We plan to return eventually but for now, we wish to experience how the world has changed and form alliances with the other inhabitants of the Realms."

"That will be no problem Spyro, I'll see to it myself if need be."

"Thanks, dad."

"I guess we will stay the night if you don't mind, we will head off in the morning towards the High Plains and from there who knows?"

The rest of the night was spent happily amongst the now extended family, reminiscing about their childhood stories, what the dragonflies had been up too and adventures Spyro and Cynder had shared. Eventually, as the two moons sparkled amongst the night sky the family settled down to sleep. Once again reunited Sparx slept between Spyros horns as he curled up with Cynder, everyone content with the pleasant surprise that the day had brought.


	3. Old and New

Shimmer begrudging pulled himself out of bed, he would have rather been lounging about this morning but today was important, it was his 20th birthday among other things. Wearily he stretched his limbs as he walked to the glass mirror in his room to which he couldn't help but utter a soft growl. His blue underbelly scales seemed to almost glow with perfection as they tapered into a gentle pale green which covered his legs, tail, back and head. His yellow eyes stood out in stark contrast to the rest of his body, with vertical pupils allowing for enhanced vision at night. Examining his body he was pleased with the nick and condition of his scales which he took extra precautions to keep them in pristine condition. While he wasn't the vainest wyvern around, he was proud of his heritage and wanted to look his absolute best for his display.

The wyverns were a secluded race and to the rest of the realms was considered to be entirely extinct, having had most of their population forced into servitude to Malefor. Once in the distant past, they had been great allies to the dragons, helping them keep the peace of the dragon realms. In particular, they were suited towards more reconnaissance style missions during the night due to their ability to see in the dark and their slightly smaller size. Their downfall occurred on the day Malefor went rogue as their population was centered at an outpost just outside of Warfang. After he had betrayed the dragons and left Warfang he had been willingly let into the Crystalforge Strand as they did not know of his betrayal. This was the fatal mistake as by the next morning most of the wyverns at Crystalforge Stand had been transformed into the beasts known as dreadwings which served Malefor until his fall. A few Patrol groups and lucky individuals who had been missed managed to escape when they released what had happened and had been living in seclusion in snowfields of Lunarim ever since that fated day. The wyverns who survived had never forgiven the dragons for this atrocity and had barely managed to keep their population afloat in the three thousand years they had been forcibly exiled. Three thousand years of hate had been brooding yet not once acted upon. The dragons at Warfang to this day still believe the where wyverns completely lost but over the generations their plight had been lost to history as the dragons themselves struggled to survive Malefors grasp on the world, focused only on preserving their own history.

He was nearing the end of his last growth spurt, having grown well into his two soft brown horns which curled neatly on either side of his head. He flexed his wings to their fullest, a span which was about a third larger than the average dragons. Smirking as he knew the extra span and muscling of their wings allowed even the slowest wyvern to outpace a dragon. His wings were the same blue colour as his underbelly which was uncommon among his race. He continued his gaze down across his slender body ending at his tail which was tipped with a row of glistening white spikes. Happy with his appearance he took a minute to calm himself. Today marked the start of his journey that would end with him becoming a fully-fledged adult.

Wyverns were quite different to dragons in some aspects, with the biggest difference being the lack of a breath weapon. Instead, wyverns were able to influence the senses of other races with illusionary magic. Most users were able to cause others to perceive things that were not really there, taste, smell and even hear what the illusionist wanted. The more adept dragons could create complex and detailed worlds which the victim couldn't distinguish from reality. Shimmer was one of the later, renowed for his prowess in illusion. Already he could manipulate sensory information better than his trainers at his tender age. The other major difference was that wyverns gave birth to live young, rather than laying eggs like the dragons did. Otherwise, the two were fairly similar in size, with wyverns being on the slightly smaller end with a leaner body typing.

As he left his room he spotted a pale red wyverness who was waiting for him outside his door.

"Shimmer, You are finally up! I wanted to have a few words before you have to go."

"Elysia, how long where you waiting? You could have come in you know I don't bite" as he flashed her a toothy grin.

Elysia was a year younger than shimmer, one of the only other wyverns around his age. The two had been best friends since they were little.

"I know… I'm just nervous. This is the first time you've had to go away and we don't know what they are going to ask you to do. I've heard rumors that the elders are plotting some sort of revenge tactic against the dragons. Please be careful we've been told how dangerous dragons are our entire life." Her eyes looking at him pleadingly.

Shimmer sat down next to Elysia and wrapped his leathery wing around her. "It's going to be hard to be away from you…. But there is no other way."

All wyverns once they reach 20 years of age are asked to fulfil a certain task that is relevant to their skill sets to transition into adulthood, a pilgrimage of sorts. Often they revolve around finding a food source or some other wisdom to prevent the population from stagnating. It had been like this since the wyverns had taken up residence in Refuge, it was a rite of necessity rather than one born of tradition and not one task had ever been declined.

"You'll be asked to undertake yours next year, I just hope I'll be back before then. These will be our hardest years but I promise you we will make it through this."

"Please… just stay safe" she whimpered. "I couldn't imagine losing you… I… I… I.. love you." She barely managed to get the words out turning her face away in embarrassment at what she had just said.

He felt a warming sensation travel down his spine as the words had finally been said. "I know" he replied softly. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, but I will be careful for you. I couldn't imagine leaving you alone in this world."

He wished there was more time for kind words but his destiny was waiting for him. "Will you walk with me to the elders? I think everybody will already be waiting for us."

"I will."

And with that, the two wyverns headed to the central meeting chamber within Refuge.

* * *

Spyro, Cynder and Sparx had arrived in the Tall Plains late the next day as the sun was setting over the golden grass. They had left from swamp early that morning, promising they would return to visit much sooner.

"This place is beautiful Spyro, I've never seen anything like this before" as she gestured towards the golden landscape below them.

"It gets better, they could be worshipping me a god" replied Sparx hopefully from his perch on Spyros head.

"The god of banter, maybe." she said with a laugh, "besides you haven't been here for years it would be kind of creepy if they have built statues of you everywhere."

"Yeah… I guess you are right, but I am rather charming from what I have been told." This earned him a rather loud snort from Cynder.

"You are right Cynder it really is something else here. I didn't have much time to appreciate the sight at the time. It was only my second flight so I was concerned with you know, not dying. He said with a laugh, recalling his crash landing the first time he had flown from the dragon temple towards Lunarim.

"I'm just happy we can visit this place beautiful place again under better circumstances. I hope the Kane is doing well, it should be an interesting meeting."

The trio landed shortly after at the outskirts of Tuchunka, located on the east coast of the Tall Planes. This was the central hub of Atlawan people, and it was loving crafted town. If not fairly rural with most of the building constructed out of the golden reeds which made up the majority of their territory.

They had only just entered the town when they were beckoned from across the street by brown and white mottled Atlawa. "Spyro! Is that you?"

Spyro turned his head towards the person who had called his name. "Hi, I'm sorry you look familiar but I can't quite place your name."

"I'm Lugg, and that is understandable we met only very briefly. You freed me from the dreadwings which had picked up my cage and were preparing to carry me away. I just wanted to thank you because I didn't get the chance before you left. He said with a bright smile towards Spyro.

"So what brings you back to our fair city? We have been faring well and re-established our connection with the earth mother thanks to you."

"I've come to bring news to your Kane, the dragons are no longer at war and Malefor is no longer. I wished to deliver the news personally to him.

"Wow, that is great news! By the way, you and your friends are welcome to stay at my house" he said gesturing to the black dragoness and Sparx. "It is the building behind me. I don't have much but I welcome you like family because I would not here without you."

"Thank you, Lugg, that is very generous of you I'm sure we will take you up on that offer. Do you know where the Kane would be?"

"If you keep walking this way you should see his temple in the centre of the village, you can't miss it. Thank you again for what you have done Spyro."

"It was my pleasure, I hope to see you again soon Lugg, take care."

The trio continued their journey towards the temple which was rather uneventful, with most of the population having retired for the day. The temple stood before them constructed in a similar manner to the other houses but it could not be mistaken. It had beautiful redwood interwoven around the golden reeds giving it a rather regal appearance. The roof was also curved with and had tapered edges signifying its importance.

"I don't see any statues of us" grumbled Sparx "I guess they didn't follow through on their plan to worship us as gods."

"I'm glad for that, being a hero is already too much for me, but you know it has its perks."

"This must be it." Said Cynder eyeing its construction. "I may have to answer some hard questions in there Spyro. But I guess I'm ready as I'll ever be."

"The Kane is rather reasonable after you get to know him, I'm sure you can handle him. Besides, I'll be here for support if you need me."

As they walked into the temple they could see the Kane sitting in front of the stone statue seemingly in prayer.

"I've been awaiting you return, please come in." he said without breaking his stance or turning around to acknowledge the trio.

"Kane it's good to see you again, your people look much happier. I had the pleasure of bumping into Lugg on the way here and he filled me with a few details."

Turning the face the newcomers he replied, "And that is thanks to you Spyro, not only did you liberate my people but you showed me the error of my ways…"

Sparx cleared his throat interrupting the Karn "forgetting someone?"

"Ahh and his faithful mosquito how could we forget you" I jest, it is good to see you as well, young dragonfly. And I see you have additional company as well who might you be?" he said as he acknowledged the black dragoness.

"I am Cynder, Spyro's partner."

"The same Cynder that Spyro was out to stop all those years ago? You look similar but not the same size"

"The same" confirmed Spyro. "I ended up rescuing her from Malefor's clutches and as it turns out she was a dragoness of my age but had been twisted to serve under his image. She has proven herself beyond a doubt and was the other half present with me when Malefor was destroyed for good. I'm not sure if the word has reached you but the war which spread across the Dragon Realms is no longer.

"That is good to hear, perhaps peace can blossom across our realms once again."

Cynder then took the moment to explain that turmoil which was present inside of her at this moment "I'm sorry for the pain I've caused your people in the past Kane, I know I angered the earth golem here all those years ago. I wish to atone for what I've done to your people."

"Hmm this is interesting, I thank you for the maturity you are showing here Cynder it seems your heart truly is in the right place. In all honesty, not that much damage was done. The invaders left just as quickly as they had arrived. Spyro and Sparx were also able to subdue the earth-mother and she even apologised for being aggressive towards the dragons. However, there is a favour I would ask if you if are willing."

"If it's in my ability I would like to help" replied Cynder

"Good good, I will explain it at length with you three tomorrow. For tonight there is a festival and I do not wish to disturb the mood. At midnight we will be celebrating the harvest moon which marks the start of our spring equinox. It is one of the important nights within our culture and I would be honoured if you would attend Spyro, as you are an honorary Atlawa after all. Your partner Cynder is also welcome under my blessing. And of course Sparx this extends to you as well"

"Thank you, Kane we would be honoured to attend, where is it being held?"

"Out behind the temple, you will see a cleared arena. The celebration beings at midnight when the moon is at its fullest."

* * *

The central meeting chamber at refuge was packed to the brim as the wyverns conversed to each other in excitement. For these special events all 107 wyverns who lived at Refuge were present, none wanting to miss the ceremony or find out what the apointed task would be. Their ages ranged from hatchling to elders nearing the end of their 500-year lifespan. Whenever a wyvern turned 20 it marked the most important day in their society and everyone was expected to attend. There were only 9 Youngers wyverns in the entire refuge, reflecting the dire situation in their race.

"I guess this is it Shimmer, I wish you the best of luck with your task. I'll be waiting every day for you to come back. I know you will make us proud. Just don't keep me waiting too long…. Promise?"

"I promise"

She leant in and the two shared a brief kiss which caused her body to tingle all over. She would have to savour this moment for a while because it's only going to get harder from here she thought. Letting out an exaggerated sigh she departed to be with the rest of the crowd.

Shimmer walked into the meeting chamber with his head held high, revealing in the moment that everybody's gaze turned to meet his own.

He was greeted by Jura the oldest of the village elders who was an ancient wyverness well beyond 400 years of age. Behind her, another two wyverns sat on the elder's council. She still looked quite regal considering her advanced age and filled the chamber with her commanding voice. "Greetings young Shimmer. Today marks your 20th birthday and the customary transition into adulthood begins today as you will be given your task to complete."

"I am ready, I have trained hard for this day and I promise to fulfil the task you give me to the best of my ability."

"Good, you will need your wits about for what I am going to ask. As you have shown exceptional talent in your ability to control your innate illusionary talent you have been selected for a task that has never been asked before."

"Now I would like everybody else in the room to listen carefully as well, this may come as a shock to you but please listen carefully. We have heard rumours that Malefor has been defeated.

A murmuring began to pass through the crowd as they attempted to comprehend what this meant.

The elder paid them no heed continuing her story with a strong voice that snapped everyone back into attention "But this is unconfirmed by our spies. It has been like this for 3000 years and we are very dubious as to why would it change so suddenly. Likely the dragons are trying to pull us out of hiding to finish what they started."

Turning back towards Shimmer she continued to address him. "Now that bring us to your task. You are to subdue and bring a live dragon back to us by any means necessary."

This drew wild cheers from all but one wyvern in the crowd, the dragons would finally see punishment for what that had caused all those years ago.

Elysia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Tears brimmed her eyes as she thought about the dangers shimmer was going to have to face alone. Shuddering as she thought of the tales which had been told to her when she was naughty as a child, often involved being burnt to a crisp by a dragons breath.

"You will need to be discrete, cunning and use your illusions well to gain the upper hand. It will be wise to only attempt this on a lone dragon, or at the most a pair. Never engage them in direct combat as it a fight you can never hope to win. You are the first candidate in a long time to be considered for such a task. We need to know what has happened in the world but I am unwilling to risk our entire population on the back of a wild rumour."

Elysia held her breath as the elder finished her speech, begging that Shimmer would refuse. It was a silly hope since nobody had ever declined before, but nobody had ever been asked to undertake a task of this nature before either.

"I accept." Growled Shimmer, eager to bring justice to his people for all the wrongs they had suffered.

Her heart sunk. All she could do was pray to the ancestors that he would be returned to her. His fate was well beyond her control now.

"You will go with our blessings. Please step forward and accept our gifts to aid you on your journey."

He moved towards the other two elders at the meeting, each offering their gift towards him. The first one he took was a handcrafted leather satchel which would sit on his left flank. It had beautiful craftsmanship and it was something he would wear proudly on his journey. Inside it contained a weeks' worth of rations and several red crystals. He hoped he wouldn't need them but it was nice to have some healing medicine with him.

The second elder was holding a curious horn ornament which was set with a sky blue sapphire. As he placed it on his horn it could feel a strange tingling across his talons. Jura replied "This will help to augment your already formidable powers. It has been passed down through my family for generations and I am trusting you to take care of it."

"Thank you, I will wear it with pride and bring your family honour when I bring a dragon back to Refuge!" his challenging roar echoing throughout the chamber.

"Once you leave you will not be allowed back until your task is complete. We will be waiting for that day with a renewed vigour. I know you will not fail us, the ancestors prophesied our return to the glory days of old."

And with that, the meeting was adjourned and shimmer was led out by the elders. He gave one final glance back trying to find Elysia but was unable to find her. Shrugging to himself he focused his mind on the task at hand, he had a dragon to catch.

* * *

Sparx, Spyro and Cynder found themselves in Luggs house that night, getting a debriefing on the festival that was to occur that night.

"As you know our people are highly connected to the landscape and our crops. The spring Equinox marks an important time for us as the two celestial moons are both full. It marks the time of our harvest and we are able to see the fruits of our labours. It has been a tradition of our people for as long as we have recorded it."

"This sounds amazing, what type of activities do you do during the festival?" asked Cynder as she was brimming with excitement.

"Well we generally paint our faces and bodies and there is food, drink and a dance that finishes the night. We also give thanks to the moons as they rejuvenate the land. "Now If you excuse me for a few minutes I will bring you three some refreshments that you might enjoy".

"Did you hear that Spyro, you're going to be dancing with me" flicking him a sly grin.

Spyro would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Sure saving the world that was no problem. But dancing with your partner in front of everyone without knowing how to, that was downright frightening. "S-sure, but you have to lead"

"It will be my pressure" she was practically purring at this point. She lightly pressed the tip of her muzzle against Spyros, sharing a loving kiss. A warm spread across her body from their proximity, enjoying their brief moment of personal time.

"Uuh guys, please remember I'm here too" muttered Sparx feeling slightly left out.

Before he could complain any further Lugg had returned to the sitting room. "This is a favourite drink among our people and it is known as coffee. It is produced from a plant that only grows in the fertile soils of the high plains. Consider it a special treat for helping me in the past."

Spyro gladly accepted his piping hot drink, which had a lovely rich, and slightly sweet smell to it.

"Mmm it smells amazing" replied Spyro

Cynder was already sipping on her own "Go on, it tastes even better. And I feel slightly more…. Energetic maybe? It's like the weariness from today's trip is fading from my limbs as I drink." Her eyes seemed to widen two-fold as she attempted to comprehend what the coffee was doing.

"Wow you're right Cynder, and it tastes lovely to boot. I think we are going to have to take some of this stuff with us, maybe even get it supplied to Warfang. I imagine anyone on guard duty would kill for a cup of this."

"I don't see what's so special about it" replied Sparx "Sure it tastes good but I'm not feeling what you guys are. Maybe it's one of those dragon things… just like the crystals." Letting out a small sigh.

Then it hit him. "No, wait there it is". His eyes instantly lit up. "Now this is what I'm talking about!"

"So how is it made?" Spyro asked, taking a vested interest in the drink.

"It's actually really simple, the only ingredients are the coffee beans and boiling water. You simply need to roast the beans over a fire, and then crush them into a coarse grind then simply you add the grinds to the boiling water and there you have it, it's that simple."

"I'm glad you are all enjoying it. It is said to enhance energy and alertness in the drinker so you should be ready for tonight's festival."

"Now we just have to put on some body paint and it should be time to leave. Just let your imagination go wild with it, there is no official method for it."

"Here Cynder, I'll do your body paint and then you can do mine?"

"Mmm" she murmured in agreement.

The gentle touch of Spyro was still something of a novelty to her and she savoured his gentle caresses, content in watching him as he was absorbed in his work. A warmth dwelled deep inside her as she uttered a soft sigh wishing for just this once they could be alone.

While Spyro wasn't exactly much of an artist he found it easy to just work with Cynders natural patterns with a white paint, accentuating the designs by adding addition lines and swirls. By the time he was finished she looked stunning, the white paint forming a nice contrast against her black scales.

"Now my turn" she replied in a throaty voice as she looked over her body, satisfied with the results.

She decided to copy her own patterns onto his body so the two would stand out as a matching pair during the festival and dance to come. As she carefully applied the paint she couldn't help but notice the extra muscling on his body that wasn't their last week. He must be going through his last growth spurt she thought to herself wondering when she was due for her own.

"Hey Sparx comes here I'll do yours as well, I couldn't forget about my favourite dragonfly now could I?"

Begrudgingly he glided over, lettering her place some patterns on him.

She carefully used the back side of her claw tracing a small line of dots across his chest and back and highlighted his eyes in a red paint.

Happy with her worked she stated, "There you go Sparx, you look ready for war."

"Uuh, thanks. I guess."

With their preparations complete the four of them headed towards the festival, the path lit by the pale lights of the two full celestial moons.

The centre of village was totally transformed from what it was before drawing gasps from the three newcomers. The first thing that stood out was the amazing amount of lanterns with flames that danced happily among the darkness creating a warm and homely feel. There were tables laden with food and drink, in particular, a lotus bean mooncake which was a hallmark of the festival.

In the centre Spyro could make out the Karn, he was wearing a headdress that was made up of a multitude of feathers and his body was covered in paints of red and blue. He truly looked to be in his element, commanding yet elegant. He spotted the dragons as they entered and began his opening speech.

"Welcome all to the annual harvest moon festival, today marks a special occasion for us all. This year we are lucky enough to celebrate it with honorary Atlawas in their own rights. Most of you will remember Sparx and Spyro who helped to free us all those years ago. Joining Spyro is his partner Cynder, please give them a warm welcome."

A thunderous cheering and clapping ensued by all the present Atlawas, with their rescue still fresh in the minds of the proud race.

"Now I'd like to begin the night by giving thanks to the Earth-Mother and Moon Twins for blessing us with another successful harvest. They have been kind to us since we briefly fell out of favour three years ago thanks in no part to my pride and arrogance. I ask for forgiveness and wish to ask you to bless our crops for the years to come."

The other Atlawas offered their own silent prayers during the speech, giving the entire area a serene feel.

"Now let the festivities begin!"

Spyro and Cynder enjoyed the new cultural experiences as they wound their way through the crowds enjoying the sights. Sparx had left them to enjoy some down time together as he looked for his own fun and mischief to cause. They enjoyed the mooncakes which were surprisingly pleasant with a smooth, sweet flavour to them. Just spending time together was good enough for the two of them, being able to share laughs together in a relaxed atmosphere was not a luxury they had experienced often, and savoured every minute of it. Before they knew it the festival was reaching its climax and a dance begun to spread across most participants in the centre stage.

The Atlawas where surprisingly limber with their bowed legs as they moved gracefully around each other, sometimes in pairs. dancing to the grove of a beat which was coming from a group of Atlawas which were playing a combination of flutes and drums.

"Let's go Spyro, now is our chance"

He was helped along by her tail, as she was eager to share an intimate moment with the dragon.

"Just follow my lead okay?"

He nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat and let his instincts take control.

The two began to slowly circle each other in a deliberate fashion, focused only on their dance with the outside world completely lost to them. Slowly they intertwined as Cynder rubbed against him. Taking her paw in his Spyro began to lift off slowly into the air as she followed him.

All eyes were now on the dragons watching their aerial prowess with interest as this was a sight to be seen.

They began to circle each other in a seemingly effortless dance. Entirely guided by instinct Spyro followed after Cynder with graceful spins and pirouettes which were really manoeuvres he had practised for aerial combat but they seemed to serve the same purpose for this display. Eventually, he found himself underneath cinder as he pushed upwards catching her in his embrace, the final conclusion to the dance. Their paws and tails joined together as they hovered above the twin moves which bathed them in a soft pale glow completely oblivious to the rest of the world.

As she looked into his eyes they spoke volumes amount the moment. His love, reassurance, needs, desires, all there plain to see. Their breath mingled together as they embraced tighter sharing the intimacy of the moment in a passionate kiss which ended up working its way down her neck as she cooed softly with pleasure, completely consumed in the carnal pleasure.

Slowly the pair returned back to solid ground, enjoying the magic of the moment as the watching Atlawas cheered for their display as they had truly stolen the night. Cynder wished they could have been alone that night, but some things would just have to wait.


	4. The fire elemental

AN: Hey guys, I made a map of my version of the dragon realms. It's nothing to flashy just mainly to give you some perspective to my story. If you're interested you can see it at my deviant art. Thefoxtails . deviantart . com

* * *

"Good morning Kane, you said there was something you wanted to ask of us yesterday?"

"Yes yes, I will get to that shortly. I just wanted to thank you for participating in your festival last night. By the way, you two did a wonderful job with the dance, everyone watching was enthralled. I know it may be different for outsiders but it is very important to my people and a good festival reflects upon the rest of the year"

"Heh, you can thank Cynder for that, she insisted."

Cynder smiled silently, pleased at her mention.

"This topic is still quite sensitive to me but I'm asking you to bring my brother back to answer for his crimes. A few weeks after you departed to took a small group of his loyalists to the edge of the Tall Plains, bordering the volcanic plains to worship a fire elemental. To him working with an outsider was unacceptable and hatred filled his shallow heart. He sought revenge with the only being that could possibly respond to the petty emotion, a fire elemental. It has been on the edge of our territory around the fertile soils of the volcanos for as long as the tales can remember but it has never attempted anything due to the earth elemental present here that protects us."

"That sounds awful, have you heard no word from him?"

"No, and has sparked this urgency is that my scouts have reported that the fire elemental is on the move. He threatens the entire way of life for our people. If he returns here the earth mother will be unpleased for sure and there will be chaos."

"Any chance he will go peacefully?"

"I Doubt it, he has been brooding over this for years."

"Battling a fire elemental is going to be tough, unfortunately, I haven't mastered the water element as there is no current guardian due to the lack of dragons present. However, I think together Cynder and I can do it. We've had to face a golem before so it isn't anything new for us."

"So Cynder, do you feel up to taking down a fire elemental?"

"It would be my pleasure, I owe this much to your people Kane, whether you believe it not"

"Thank you, I couldn't ask for more capable allies, nay, friends."

"It should take you only a few hours to reach the elemental if you need any previsions feel free to ask our quartermaster and we will happy to share with you. May the earth mother bless your return."

And with that, the three heroes made their leave, with Sparx breaking the silence. "Can we go for a week that we don't have to fight for our lives?"

"You secretly love it Sparx, why else would you come along?"

"Yeah, maybe I do…"

* * *

It was still morning by the time the fire elemental came into view and the fire elemental was a sight to behold. It stood twice as tall as an adult dragon, its entire body flaming in an orange glow. It seemed to be living flame with a rough set of arms, legs and a head that could be seen faintly amongst the glow.

"Damn the only water nearby is the ocean" cursed Spyro

The pair surveyed the area, it was fairly open area with small patches of golden grass and thick bushy scrub which sprung up spatially amongst the gentle sloping hills.

As the fire elemental noticed the pair of dragons it let out a guttural growl, clearly unable to communicate in any meaningful way. Behind the elemental Spyro could make out 5 Atlakas who were following behind it.

"There, behind the elemental, there are 5 Atlakas. That must be Karns brother and his followers. Sparx do you think you can keep watch on them while we take on this fire elemental?"

"Sure thing bud, stay safe okay?"

"We'll do our best."

Their talk was then unceremoniously interrupted by a fireball that was hurled towards them, although neither of them moved as it sailed harmlessly above their heads, most likely a warning shot.

Sparx dipped away into the bushes nearby as Cynder turned to Spyro.

"Well that's our invitation I guess." Letting out a small laugh

"This is going to be tough, there is no way we can lure it into the water like we did with the golem back at warfang, and I can't breathe water…."

Interrupting his doubt Cynder was focused on the task at hand "We'll think of something on the fly, I don't think the elemental is going to wait for us"

The two dragons flew in, taking careful stock of the situation as they flew around the elemental which seemed to be waiting for them to take the first move, weighing up its options.

Spyro decided to go in low around the back leg of the elemental unleashing a torrent of frost charged breath at the exposed leg. He snarled as the ice was evaporated harmlessly to steam before it could reach its mark. Cursing this obvious outcome he attempted to regain some altitude. However, he was stopped dead in his tracks when the fist of the elemental snaked towards him at lightning speed, moving with an agility he did know was possible from such a large adversary. The punch took him fully in the side of his face which sent him reeling towards the ground. He managed to regain his balance enough to prevent smashing into the floor but he could feel the blow still ringing in his head.

The elemental wasted no time in watching Spyro struggle against his blow and turned instantly to the other pressing threat which was the black dragoness. A fiery hand shot out towards her but she was ready and unleashed a torrent of shadow fire which caused the elemental to contort its hand to avoid most of the blast. The altered trajectory allowed Cynder to move out of the way with ease as she noticed parts of the elementals fire had been extinguished where they had come into contact with her shadow breath.

She let out a soft groan as the fire rekindled itself shortly after and the elemental look completely unfazed about what had just happened.

Cynder decided to press what little advantage she had unleashed another torrent of shadow breath at the body of the elemental. It reeled back quickly but its right leg took the tail end of her breath and the flames spluttered as they were engulfed by the shadows.

Spyro had shaken most of his concussion off and took his opportunity to dive in towards the right leg and unleashed another torrent of ice breath at the exposed leg. He was rewarded with an unearthly sound as the elemental seemed to rear in pain. It unleashed a fiery vortex around itself in an endless rage which drove the two dragons back as they shielded their eyes. The leg of the elemental did not reignite but it still looked like it had plenty of fight left to give, seemingly eyeing the pair more wearily now.

 _If we keep going at this rate I'm going to run out of breath before we can disable the golem's flames... there has to be another way…_ "Spyro over here!" called Cynder "We can't keep harassing the elemental like this we are just going to tire ourselves out before we can get in any meaningful damage."

"So what are you thinking?"

"We have to trick it somehow, your ice breath seems to be the only thing that causes it any damage, if I draw its attention…"

"I can't let you be a distraction it's too dangerous" His eyes pleading with her.

"Spyro I know the dangers, it's the only way. I'll be careful I promise."

"Alright, i trust you."

And with the two dragons re-engaged the elemental with renewed a vigour. Wasting no time the elemental moved forward attempting to swat the dragons as they flew around him. A fiery hand grabbed for Spyro as it attempted to herd him towards the elemental head as it unleashed a giant fireball in his direction. Realising there was no way out Spyro counted with his own breath of fire which caused the two projectiles to meet and explode in a shower of sparks, sending an eerie glow across the yellow plains.

Cynder wasted no time as the elemental exposed its back and she channelled all her energy into her shadow breath. A massive torrent proceeded to extinguish the flames across its back, exposing the solid core which seemed to hold the elemental to this realm. As it whirled around to face her she did not stop her assault and pressed forward. _I have to buy him time she thought, no matter the cost_.

The elemental completely enraged at this point brought both its hands together and swatted at the dragoness causing his grievances. Cynder tried her best to spiral out of the elementals reach but she felt a hand make contact with her left wing and a horrifying crunch. The next thing she knew was a strange darkness as the ground rushed up to meet her.

Spyro could feel his heart in his mouth as he watched Cynder and the fire elemental duking it out together. He carefully worked his way towards the exposed back of the elemental now deprived of flames thanks to Cynder as he prepared to unleash his frost breath. His thoughts there interrupted as he heard a sickening crunch and out of the corner of his eyes saw a black shape plummeting towards the earth.

"Cynder!"

The world seemed to slow down as he realised the situation. _Please, ancestors, don't be dead he thought to himself_ as panic and adrenaline flowed through his veins _._ Taking every bit of his will to prevent himself dashing over to the dragoness he managed to Blink back the tears as he summed every bit of energy he possessed and poured it into his breath.

The elemental cried out in pain as its victory was cut short and it tried to answer the other dragon present. However, as it attempted to turn around its body wasn't responding properly as his core began to freeze.

Spyro pushed on with a relentless fury as the core became encrusted with ice. With ruthless precision he brought his tail smashing into the core which shattered under the blow, searing the elemental in half.

While the blow would be mortal to the elemental in time it could still function without its legs and decided on its final act, if it couldn't win then neither would anybody else. The elemental head began to glow in a fiery heat as all the remaining flames began moving towards the one position, channelling an intense fire.

"Shit, Cynder!" Spyro roared with all his might as he realised what was happening.

Diving towards the unconscious dragoness he grabbed onto her, attempting to form a shield against the fire as he had seen Ignitus do when they crossed the ring of fire.

Behind him, he heard an intense explosion as a wave of fire rippled across the landscape. The white shield flared to life, and for a brief second it seemed like it would hold but Spyros inexperience caused it to shimmer away, and then there nothing.

* * *

Sparx took his leave from the group, silently muttering to himself about the things his friend made him do, although he was glad Spyro kept him safely out of the combat. Giving a wide birth around the elemental Sparx took into the woody brush which was thick in the area. Being small certainly had its advantages in eavesdropping as he was able to find a spot in the brush where he could hear the Atlawas talking, although he didn't have a clear view of them.

"That purple dragon again…"

"He single-handedly defeated an earth golem three years ago, do you think he can match a fire elemental?"

"He's got help this time too, there's a black dragon with him."

"Hey!" Sparx barely managed to muffle his voice in time as he released what he was doing. Damn bastards forgot I even existed he mumbled to himself.

"Brimstone is powerful, he is more than enough to handle these two dragons." Sparx could hear the confidence in his voice.

"We've pored so much effort into bringing him into power, the sacrifices in blood we made."

Sparx grimaced as he heard the words. What sacrifices? He thought to himself as he spat in disgust.

"Vengeance will be sweet, common let's get a good view of the fight."

He decided against following as they went out into the open, as they clearly did not sound like they could be reasoned with. I guess I'll have to wait for them to finish with the elemental before we decide what to do with them. His thoughts were then interrupted as a large explosion rippled through the otherwise gentle expanse. He could see the flames taper off before they reached him but a look of complete and utter horror filled his face. "Spyro... Cynder…. Please let that be your attack" he muttered as he dashed out of the brush, knowing full well that it wasn't Spyro who had unleashed such destruction.

He was greeted with a hideous scar in the landscape. The gentle yellow grass had scorched away in a 50-meter radius around the central point to where the crumbled remains of an elemental rested. Gentle flames licked the edges of the grass hungrily but there was no major blaze. He chanced a glance over to where the Atlakas had been but he glanced away immediately at what he saw. Visibly he was shaking, although he had seen things die they had been actively trying to kill him, this was something else. The charred bones were all he needed to realise there were no survivors. Letting out a strangled sob he saw a purple shape amongst the black in the creator.

"Please be alive... Please you can't be dead now brother… And Cynder too, please." he whispered in silent prayer as he flew towards the dragons. As he arrived he could tell how serious it was. Some of Spyros pristine purple scales had been scorched completely and there were numerous patches of blood oozing from his body and tail. Cynder had been shielded from the worst of it but still barely looked in a better condition than Spyro, and one of her wings was clearly injured. Both of the dragons were still breathing, although it was laboured in Spyros case.

"Spyro, Cynder, wake up please." He begged as flew around there faces.

There was no response at all from the two as they looked completely out of the situation. Sparx mind began to run at a million miles an hour as he wrestled with himself internally about what to do. _I've got to help them he muttered. Shit shit shit, if they die this is all going to be my fault. I need to find_ some red crystals immediately or they aren't going to make it.

With the utmost urgency urging him onwards Sparx flew towards the nearby hills hoping to find a cave with crystals or at the very least some medicinal herbs that might be just enough to keep the pair alive.

* * *

Tara sighed as she gathered the fresh spring herbs and vegetables that were plentiful in the volcanic soils on the edge of the tall plains. Today was just another ordinary day for the pair since the dragon temple had been raided 20 years ago. She had barely escaped with her partner Rin that fated day. They both had travelled from the Eastern Islands a few years before to witness the year of the dragon hatching, which had included an egg of their own. However the fates were not kind to them as the temple raid was burned vividly into their mind, every egg had been lost, including their own. The two of them had barely managed to make it out alive and had ever since lived in seclusion on the fertile land at the edge of Tall Plains ever since.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard what seemed to be a loud bang in the distance. Wondering if it was a volcanic eruption she flew gracefully into the sky and observed her surroundings. _Hmmm, I don't see any ash clouds, I wonder what it could have been?_ _Oh well, it's a welcome distraction from picking herbs she mused._ Needing no second explosion to peak her curiosity she flew lazily in the air towards the explosion.

Not 30 seconds into her flight she heard a yell from bellow her.

"Please stop!"

She slowed to a hover and saw a curious looking dragonfly before her.

'You gotta help me please my friends are dying"

"Woah, slow down I heard an explosion what has happened?"

"My friends, two dragons were fighting a fire elemental and it exploded… Please, they are barely alive and I can't carry them... They need red crystal now or they are g.. g. g... going to….."

Interrupting the dragonfly before he burst into tears "Shh, it's going to be okay. Come with me, my home is just around the corner. We have some supplies that can help and we will go back and get them okay?"

All Sparx could do was nod as his mind raced with a million questions during the short journey. It felt like the longest period of life even though it took less than a minute. The pair touched down in front of a sheltered cave, nestled away in the hills. A brief surge of relief flooded his face as he doubted he would have been able to find this cave without the help of this dragon.

"Rin! You need to get some red crystals and get out here stat."

"On it honey!" Sparx heard the voice booming out from the cave.

A blue dragon emerged shortly after with a leather satchel on his side. Noticing the dragonfly next to her he asked, "What's going on?"

"There is no time, we'll explain on the way" Tara replied, her voice filled with urgency.

* * *

AN: Writing actions scenes with dragons is fun and challenging if anybody has any feedback on this, in particular, I would love to hear it.

Hope nobody saw that happening, the story is starting to get interesting now ;).

Leaving you quite a few cliffhangers, I'm mean, aren't I? Next chapter will be fairly large.


End file.
